Is the roleplay aspect of D&D gone, replaced by optimization?

[Witty Username]

Serious question: ARE there simpler OSR games? 5e is the simplest edition of D&D I've ever seen. Even the old, old-school editions were, despite having fewer knobs, far more complicated due to klunkier gameplay rules technology, to my recollection. 3e and 5e are refinements and streamlines on their basic engines to the point that they are simpler.

Are there OSR games that are genuinely simpler, still?

Short answer yes, there is an OSR game called Five Torches Deep that is a cut down version of 5e.
Long answer, Their are a lot of OSR games. Most of them trend toward pretty simple, most of them have roots in d&d basic, which declared a lot of things too complex for the puny human mind like having a race and a class. I think I saw one that did away with attack rolls and AC believing they wasted time and brain space, if you made an attack you would just roll damage (combat being a bit more deadly).